Sugar bio battery

Sony announced the development of a bio battery that generateselectricity from carbohydrates (sugar) utilizing enzymes as itscatalyst, through the application of power generation principles foundin living organisms.

Test cells of this bio battery haveachieved power output of 50 mW, currently the world's highest level2for passive-type3 bio batteries. The output of these test cells issufficient to power music play back on a memory-type Walkman.

Inorder to realize the world's highest power output, Sony developed asystem of breaking down sugar to generate electricity that involvesefficiently immobilizing enzymes and the mediator (electronicconduction materials) while retaining the activity of the enzymes atthe anode. Sony also developed a new cathode structure whichefficiently supplies oxygen to the electrode while ensuring that theappropriate water content is maintained. Optimizing the electrolyte forthese two technologies has enabled these power output levels to bereached.

Sugar is a naturally occurring energy source producedby plants through photosynthesis. It is therefore regenerative, and canbe found in most areas of the earth, underlining the potential forsugar-based bio batteries as an ecologically-friendly energy device ofthe future.

Source: sony.netAdded: 2 October 2007